Caddo Mounds State Historic Site hosts volunteer day to aid in tornado recovery effort

CHEROKEE COUNTY, TX (KTRE) - A volunteer effort organized to help in the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site’s post-tornado recovery effort has grown into an event involving several volunteer groups; however, they still need your help.

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site on Monday posted on Facebook, asking for volunteers to take part in the May Volunteer Day by aiding in the process of clearing debris, removing downed trees, and other smaller jobs. Caddo Mounds officials have said they hope to be able to maintain the grounds while rebuilding gets underway.

The event is the second of such organized efforts to help Caddo Mounds recover after the site took a direct hit from one of two tornadoes that tore through the city of Alto on April 13.

This volunteer day was originally organized by Alisa Ripley at Cushing ISD, but other groups have indicated that they are planning on helping us that day as well: The Alabama- Coushatta Tribe of Texas, East Texas Chapter of Master Naturalist, and the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, Louisiana to name a few. We want to thank all of the volunteers that have already contributed time to helping at Caddo Mounds—a special Texas historic and cultural site.

Facebook, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site

If you’d like to volunteer during May Volunteer Day, you’re asked to please call the site at (936) 858-3218 or 9936) 858-2359 to indict your interest in attending. For more information about the May Volunteer Day, you can visit the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site’s Facebook page.

Lunch will be provided for volunteers at noon. As an added bonus, Caddo Mounds announced Dr. Brent Burt, with Stephen F. Austin State University’s department of biology, will conduct a shortened version of his “Texas Birding 101” program around 12:30 p.m.

A Caddo Mounds spokesperson said in a Facebook post that the visitor center’s demolition was completed last week after portion of the building that was left standing after tornado was deemed unsafe. Staff will post photos of personal items recovered around the debris site, and photos will be posted at a later date in an effort to return those items to their owners.

PBS has produced a documentary on the construction of the Caddo grass house, which was destroyed by the tornado. It can be found at this link.